Deion Sanders recently ripped into college football reporters for the constant scrutiny towards young athletes.
Sanders Says Nil Money Makes Reporters Jealous
During a press conference on Tuesday, Colorado's head coach ranted about the "envious" and "jealous" reporters that berate players with criticisms. Sanders alleged that NIL deals are the motive behind the reporters' judgement, saying they were attacking players because "they make more money than y'all."
"The landscape has changed in football," Sanders said. "Once upon a time, you guys never attacked college players. Now they're making more money than y'all. And some of y'all are envious and jealous about that, so you're on the attack. It was hands-off for a college player because he's an amateur. You remember that guys? Now it's hands-on, go at them, any kind of way you want.
The NFL Hall of Famer went on to assert that many players on his team are not accustomed to the level of verbal assault they receive, going as far as to call them "sensitive" to the harsh things said and written about them. Sanders wrapped up his tirade saying that he knew reporters had to "do their jobs," but urged them to refrain from personal attacks on players after poor performances.
"If they didn't play well, leave it at that. The personal stuff, leave it to be personal, because if we start flipping the script on y'all, you wouldn't like it," said Sanders.
CU Banned a Reporter From Asking Questions
Deion Sanders has been adamant about protecting his players in the past and has gone as far as to virtually ban a journalist from asking questions.
Sean Keeler of The Denver Post was told by the University of Colorado that Sanders and his program would no longer be offering responses to his questions. In a statement the school cited a series of "sustained, personal attacks" and several incidents of hostile coverage as the reason for the decision. The move was in response to a critical column written by Keeler in which he criticized the coach's behavior during the team's media day.
